Refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator including an outer case and an inner case arranged to define a body of a refrigerator; and an electric wire piping assembly to perform power supply and/or transmission of electric signals, the electric wire piping assembly provided along a predetermined path to prevent a thickness of a heat insulating material, that is filled between the inner case and the outer case, from being reduced. The electric wire piping assembly provided in the case of the refrigerator according to the present invention is disposed along the predetermined path not to reduce the thickness of the heat insulating material. As a result, the deterioration of heat insulation efficiency and the formation of drops on the refrigerator may be prevented.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the Patent Korean Application No.10-2007-0069681, filed on Jul. 11, 2007, which is hereby incorporated byreference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present invention relates to a refrigerator. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to a refrigerator of which a heat insulatingmaterial filled between an outer case and an inner case thereof isprevented from being reduced.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Refrigerators are home appliances having freezer compartments andrefrigerator compartments to cool or freeze foodstuff. The refrigeratorcompartment keeps temperatures of approximately 3˜4° C. to coolfoodstuff and vegetables for a relatively long time. The freezercompartment keeps temperatures below freezing to keep meat and foodstufffrozen.

Such refrigerators include a heat insulating material to insulateagainst heat-exchange with an outside and the thickness of the heatinsulating material has to be reduced as much as possible to present alarger inner volume of a refrigerator.

However, if the heat insulating material is thinner, a portion of theheat insulating material where a wire or a connector passes may berelatively thinner. As a result, if environments are wet, drops forms onthe exterior case, and reliability of the overall system may diminish,for example, corrosion or propagation of bacteria.

In addition, the cooling efficiency of a refrigerator may deterioratebecause of the heat-exchanging that is generated at the thin portion.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a refrigerator.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator of whicha cooling efficiency is enhanced by preventing the thickness of a heatinsulating material from being reducing to maintain reliability of asystem thereof.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure will beset forth in part in the description which follows and in part willbecome apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following or may be learned from practice of theinvention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may berealized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with thepurpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, arefrigerator includes an outer case and an inner case to define a bodyof a refrigerator; and an electric wire piping assembly to perform powersupply and/or transmission of electric signals, the electric wire pipingassembly provided along a predetermined path to prevent a thickness of aheat insulating material, that is filled between the inner case and theouter case, from being reduced.

It is preferable that the electric wire piping assembly is providedalong a corner of the inner case. The electric wire piping assembly maybe provided along a recess portion of the inner case.

Each wire configured of the electric wire piping assembly may beprovided side-by-side to reduce the thickness of the electric wirepiping assembly.

Here, the refrigerator may further include a connection to connect theelectric wire piping assembly with each of electric parts that receivepower and electric signals from the electric wire piping assembly.

The connection may be provided in a corner of the inner case. Theconnection may be provided in a recess portion of the inner case.

The present invention has industrial applicability. The electric wirepiping assembly provided in the case of the refrigerator according tothe present invention is disposed along the predetermined path so as notto reduce the thickness of the heat insulating material. As a result,the deterioration of heat insulation efficiency and the formation ofdrops on the refrigerator may be prevented.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description of the present invention areexemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide furtherexplanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the disclosure andtogether with the description serve to explain the principle of thedisclosure.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating that doors of a refrigeratorcompartment and a freezer compartment are opened according to arefrigerator of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electric wirepipe assembly and a connection provided on an inner case of therefrigerator;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating that the electricwire piping assembly is disposed at a corner of the inner case;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating that the electricwire piping assembly is disposed at a recess portion of the inner case;and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the electric wirepiping assembly and the connection that are connected with anevaporator.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the specific embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating that doors of a refrigeratorcompartment and a freezer compartment are opened according to arefrigerator of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspectiveview illustrating an electric wire pipe assembly and a connectionprovided on an inner case of the refrigerator. FIG. 3 is a horizontalsectional view illustrating that the electric wire piping assembly isdisposed at a corner of the inner case. FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectionalview illustrating that the electric wire piping assembly is disposed ata recess portion of the inner case. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectionalview illustrating the electric wire piping assembly and the connectionthat are connected with an evaporator.

In reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the refrigerator 100 according to thepresent invention includes an outer case 113, an inner case 111 and anelectric wire piping assembly 130. The outer case 113 and the inner case111 form a body of the refrigerator 100. The electric wire pipingassembly 130 performs power supply and/or signal transmission and it isdisposed along a predetermined path to prevent the thickness of a heatinsulating material 150, that is filled between the outer case 113 andthe inner case 111, from being reduced.

In addition, the refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator body 109having a freezer compartment 107 a and a refrigerator compartment 108 ato freeze and cool foodstuff, and refrigerator doors 107 and 108 coupledto the refrigerator body 109 to open and close the freezer compartment107 a and the refrigerator compartment 108 a.

For example, the freezer compartment 107 a may be provided in a leftspace of the refrigerator body 109 and the refrigerator compartment 108a may be provided in a right space. A partition 110 may be provided at acenter of the refrigerator 100 to partition an inside of therefrigerator body 109 into the freezer compartment 107 a and therefrigerator compartment 108 a.

A freezer compartment door 107 and a refrigerator compartment door 108are coupled to a front of the refrigerator body 109 to selectively openand close the freezer compartment 107 a and the refrigerator compartment108 a, respectively.

The refrigerator compartment door and the freezer compartment door maybe positioned differently in accordance with the positions of therefrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. For example, therefrigerator may be a top-mount refrigerator, a side-by-siderefrigerator and a bottom freezer refrigerator in which a freezercompartment sliding opened is located above a refrigerator compartment.

In addition, a dispenser 105 is provided at the front of the freezercompartment door 107 for a user to dispense water or ice without openingthe door 107. An icemaker (not shown) to make ice and a water tank (notshown) are provided in the refrigerator 100.

The refrigerator body 109 is configured of the outer case 113 and theinner case 111. The inner case forms space to store water and amechanical room 120 is provided under the inner case 111.

In the mechanical room 120 are provided a compressor 121, a condenser123 a fan 125 and a controller 127 to control power and electric signalstransmitted to the electrical parts provided in the refrigerator 100.

The outer case 113 is assembled to cover the inner case 111. The heatinsulating material 150 is provided between the outer case 113 and theinner case 111 to insulate heat between an inside and an outside of therefrigerator 100.

The heat insulating material 150 may be a blowing agent, for example,made of organic compounds such as polyurethane and it is filled betweenthe outer case 113 and the inner case 111, and hardened. Polyurethaneresin is good in heat-insulating and it is frequently used as heatinsulating material of freezer apparatuses.

On the other hand, the refrigerator 100 of the present invention furtherincludes the electric wire piping assembly 130 provided between theinner case 111 and the outer case 113. The electric wire piping assembly130 may be configured of a bundle of wires that are supplying power andelectric signals to various electric parts provided in the refrigerator100.

An end of the electric wire piping assembly 130 is connected with thecontroller 127 and the other end is connected with each of the electricparts. The controller 127 is employed to distribute the power suppliedto the refrigerator 100 to each of the electric parts and to createelectric signals to control a function of each electric part.

Here, it is preferable that the electric wire piping assembly 130 of therefrigerator 100 according to the present invention is positioned alonga predetermined path to prevent the thickness of the heat insulatingmaterial 150 from being reduced.

The thickness of the heat insulating material is reduced as much as thethickness of the electric wire piping assembly 130, because the electricwire piping assembly 130 is provided between the outer case 113 and theinner case 111 together with the heat insulating material 150. Asmentioned above, if the humidity around the refrigerator 100 is high,the reduction of the heat insulating material 150 may result in dropformation on outer surfaces of the refrigerator 100.

Moreover, as the heat insulating thickness is reduced, heat insulatingefficiency may deteriorate. Thus, it is important to position theelectric wire piping assembly 130 in a portion that does not affect theheat insulating thickness.

Specifically, it is preferable that the electric wire piping assembly130 is positioned along a corner of the inner case 111. This is becausethe corner of the refrigerator 100 has a relatively thicker heatinsulating thickness than the other portions in space between the innercase 111 and the outer case 113. That is, the electric wire pipingassembly 130 may be positioned at a portion where a surface of the innercase 111 meets another surface. Here, the corner of the inner case 130is not necessarily a 90 degree corner, but may be a turned corner. Inone embodiment, the turned corner includes a first and second 45 degreeturn separated by a distance.

Considering connection with the electric parts and assembly convenience,it is preferable that the electric wire piping assembly 130 is providedat the inner case 111 rather than the outer case 113.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire piping assembly 130 is positionedalong a corner of the inner case 111. Some portion of the electric wirepiping assembly 130 connected with the controller 127 is connected withthe compressor 121, the condenser 123 and the fan provided in themechanical room 120, and another portion is connected with the necessaryelectric parts along the corner of the inner case 111.

As shown in FIG. 3, if the electric wire piping assembly 130 ispositioned at the corner of the inner case 111, it is identified thatthe heat insulating thickness is not reduced. That is, a heat insulatingthickness of the heat insulating material 150 filled between the innercase 111, shown as a surface, and the outer case 113 is referred to as Dand the heat insulating thickness D′ of the corner having the electricwire piping assembly 130 positioned thereat has a marginal thicknesslarger than D.

Because of the above positioning of the electric wire piping assembly130, the heat insulating thickness may not be reduced.

As the heat insulating thickness is not reduced, heat insulatingefficiency may not deteriorate and drops may not form on therefrigerator.

In another aspect, the electric wire piping assembly 130 of therefrigerator 100 according to the present invention may be positionedalong a recess portion of the inner case 111.

In accordance with a shape of the inner space of the refrigerator 100,the inner case 111 may have a recess portion recessed inward. Forexample, the recess portion is formed at a portion where therefrigerator compartment 108 a (see FIG. 1) and the freezer compartment107 a (see FIG. 2) are separated, or a portion where the inner space ofthe refrigerator is partitioned based on kinds of the other storagecompartments.

Especially, there may be a plurality of shelves provided in therefrigerator compartment 108 a (see FIG. 1) and the freezer compartment107 a (see FIG. 2). The shelves are usually detachable to optimize spaceutility.

The shelves may be plate shaped or wire pocket made of wires to holdfoodstuff therein. The shelves may be installed by using projections orguide grooves formed at an inner surface of the inner case, and thusthey are insertedly pushed into the projections or guide grooves to besupported.

To form the projections or the guide grooves, there are projectedportions at the inner surface of the inner case. The projected portionsshould have the projections for the shelves to be put simply thereon, orthe guide grooves are formed between two neighboring projections. Ifplural projections are formed for the shelves, corresponding pluralrecesses may be formed at an opposite outer surface of the inner case.

As a result, the recess portion for the electric wire piping assembly130 to be positioned does not have to be formed additionally.

As shown in FIG. 4, even if the electric wire piping assembly 130 isdisposed along the recess portion of the inner case 111, D′ of theportion where the electric wire piping assembly is disposed may have alarger thickness than D of a conventional heat insulating thickness. Asa result, the heat insulating thickness may not be reduced even with theelectric wire piping assembly 130.

Here, to reduce the thickness of the electric wire piping assembly 130,it is preferable that the wires configured of the electric wire pipingassembly 130 are provided side-by-side.

The electric wire piping assembly 130 can have the least thicknessbecause the electric wires are provided side-by-side to form a levelsurface. As a result, the heat insulating thickness may not be reducedeven with the electric wire piping assembly 130 provided in the innercase 111.

When the heat insulating material 150 is filled, the level wires do notinterfere with the flow of the heat insulating material 150, so that theheat insulating material 150 is distributed uniformly.

In the meantime, the refrigerator 100 of the present invention mayfurther include a connection 140 to connect the electric wire pipingassembly 130 with each of the parts that receives the power and theelectric signals. The connection 140 connects the electric wire pipingassembly 130 with each of the electric parts to supply the power and theelectric signals transmitted by the electric wire piping assembly 130 tothe electric parts.

The connection 140 is also provided between the inner case 111 and theouter case 113 and the heat insulating thickness may be reduced at aportion where the connection 140 is provided. Thus, it is preferablethat the connection 140 is provided at a corner or a recess portion ofthe inner case 111.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a portion where the evaporator 129 ofthe inner case 111 is provided is recessed inward to form a recessportion. As a result, in the recess portion may be provided the electricwire piping assembly 130 for transmitting the power and electric signalsto the evaporator 129 and the connection 140 for connecting the electricwire piping assembly 130 with the evaporator 129.

If the electric wire piping assembly 130 and the connection 140 areprovided as mentioned above, the heat insulating thickness D′ of theportion where the electric wire piping assembly 130 and the connection140 are provided is not reduced in comparison with the heat insulatingthickness D of the heat insulating material 150.

As a result, the deterioration of heat insulating efficiency caused bythe reduction of heat insulating thickness and the drop formation may beprevented.

Therefore, the present invention has several advantageous effects.

First, deterioration of heat insulating efficiency may be prevented,because the heat insulating thickness of an electric wire pipingassembly is not reduced.

Furthermore, heat insulating efficiency may be enhanced by reducing thethickness of the electric wire piping assembly to be as small aspossible, and a heat insulating material may be filled uniformly by notinterfering with its flow when the heat insulating material is filled.

Water drops are prevented from forming on a surface of the case bypreventing the reduction of the heat insulating thickness and thuscorrosion of a case, and electric leakage may be prevented in order tomaintain reliability of an overall system.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, itis intended that the present invention covers the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A refrigerator, comprising: a body defined by an outer case and aninner case having a turned corner running along an outside corner edgeof a back of the inner case; and an electric wire piping assemblyconfigured to perform power supply and/or transmission of electricsignals, a first portion of the electric wire piping assembly providedalong a predetermined path arranged along the turned corner.
 2. Therefrigerator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heat insulatingmaterial between the inner and outer case, and having a substantiallyuniform thickness.
 3. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising a second portion of the electric wire piping assemblyprovided along a recess portion of the inner case.
 4. The refrigeratoras claimed in claim 1, wherein each wire configured of the electric wirepiping assembly is provided side-by-side to reduce the thickness of theelectric wire piping assembly.
 5. The refrigerator as claimed in claim1, further comprising a connection configured to connect the electricwire piping assembly with each of a plurality of electric parts thatreceive power and electric signals from the electric wire pipingassembly.
 6. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 5, wherein theconnection is provided in a corner of the inner case.
 7. Therefrigerator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the connection is providedin a recess portion of the inner case.
 8. A refrigerator, comprising: anouter case; an inner case provided in the outer case, having apredetermined space formed therein, the inner case having a turnedcorner running along an outside corner edge of a back of the inner case;and a heat insulating material filled between the outer case and theinner case in a uniform thickness and configured to prevent water dropsfrom forming on an outer surface of the outer case.
 9. The refrigeratoras claimed in claim 8, further comprising an electric wire pipingassembly configured to perform power supply and/or transmission ofelectric signals, wherein a recess portion is formed at an oppositeouter surface corresponding to a projection formed at an inner surfaceof the space of the inner case, wherein a portion of the electric wirepiping assembly is provided in the recess portion.
 10. The refrigeratoras claimed in claim 9, further comprising an electrical connectionconnecting the electric wire piping assembly to one of plural electricparts.